Smooth sailing for Glass Face

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: GORDON KING
Glass Face is a band enrolled in the Music Industry Arts at Fanshawe College; they are at the top of their class with one of their songs being features on Teen Wolf.

The digital era has not only changed the way we listen to music, it’s changed the relationship between musicians and their fans. Up and coming artists, including those in the well-known and growing Music Industry Arts (MIA) program at Fanshawe College, are recognizing the importance of keeping social media followers up to date.

Amelia Fraser, the vocalist for Glass Face, said the expectations changed her computer habits.

“Before this program, I didn’t spend a lot of time on my computer and now it’s become important to do that,” she explained, adding they plan to work more as a team to watch their audience expand.

“A lot of our fan base right now is from other countries and the only way they can find out about us is from online.”

Dylan King, who plays synth bass and electronic drums, does audio engineering and is an MIA alumnus. King added that their manager is social media savvy and enters them in contests, including the upcoming event London Covers. He said they didn’t post anything on social media for five months after releasing a song.

“Having a strong online presence has to do a lot with the visual look of your stuff, having content and giving people something to connect with.”

Singer and songwriter Cole Sefton, who also plays guitar and piano for the band, said their cover of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” is one example of them striving for a strong social media presence. He said covering a hit single is one way to gain more recognition.

“You take a song that people really love and what people all know, and you do it your own way,” he said. “A lot of people find that interesting.”

“Sweet dreams are made of this…”

On the band’s “about” page on their website, they call themselves “a dream pop band from Ontario.” King explained that while they would not classify themselves as just pop, their music often incorporates pop music elements.

“We use a lot more obscure sounds from obscure genres, and a lot more reverb than anyone would ever use in a pop song,” he said.

Sefton added their music is often called dream-like, as if the listeners are lost in a trance.

“We’ve had people say they just kind of get lost in the music,” Sefton said.

Fraser said their goal is making sure they enjoy their music, while hoping to gain fans along the way.

“Even though we may want music that can be reached by more people, we’re still not going to allow ourselves to go over the edge when we are not enjoying it.”

King added that for them, the line between producing music that reaches a wide audience and maintains their integrity as artists is thin. “Sometimes it can just be one or two elements, like a really heavy distorted guitar or a certain effect on a vocal that can change a vibe of a song.”

Their cover of “Hotline Bling” is a perfect example of how just a change in style can transform the song. The synth-influenced track has a slower tempo, and the mood, as they mentioned about their other pieces, makes you want to get lost in a daydream.

Glass Face’s version is also picking up a lot of attention as well, with at least 5,000 views and counting on YouTube. Rebecca Black, known for the viral video “Friday”, tweeted their cover and called it the best version of “Hotline Bling” she’s heard.

Striking the first chord

Glass Face began as Fraser and Sefton started playing together. King joined the band after hearing the pair rehearse at the school. “When you’re in the MIA studio, you can walk by and you can hear [everyone] working on things,” he explained.

“I just heard it through the door and peaked my head in and forced them to collaborate with me.”

The band has found success within their program. They were on the top of the MIA billboard chart for weeks. King explained the music charts for their program are based on a point system, where you get a point for every like, follow or one thousand plays. Glass Face earned many points after their song “Holland” was featured on an episode of Teen Wolf.

They are finishing up their debut EP, You Are Nowhere and hope to start doing live shows in London and the rest of Southwestern Ontario.

The band agreed that a balance of having many online and on stage appearances is important.

“Some bands focus only on playing live shows and whatnot,” Sefton explained. “Usually that leads to just local success, you can’t really go much further than that.

King joined in adding, “It doesn’t pay well. You’re not going to be eating groceries with money playing local shows all the time.”

On the other hand, Sefton said that you also can’t focus too much on your online portfolio as a musician. “People want to see it live, so you’ve got to do both.”

King said common themes in their EP include feelings of loneliness and abandonment, death and heartbreak, with a hint of optimism near the end of some of the tracks. He compared the album to some common feelings people have during the winter.

“The winter breeds more negative emotions because it’s colder out, you’re less inclined to go outside,” he explained. “Especially in Canada, you feel restricted. There’s just something about it where I’ve always associated it with vices, like animistic behaviour. The summer feels like the time to renew yourself and do well.”

Fraser said that despite the mood, listeners could take different meanings from the emotional input. “That’s what people told me about ‘Holland’. A lot of people still call it as something literal, or something not exactly what the words are portraying.”

Sefton added the songs were written during different tough times in their lives. “The biggest thing for me when I am making music is I just want people to listen to it and have some sort of emotional reaction to it, and be able to relate to it and just feel things,” he said.

You Are Nowhere will be released on iTunes, Spotify and other digital platforms Dec. 16.